Hasselrode informed Kelly, “It looks like your DSS is going through, in addition to a Presidential Unit Citation, a campaign star, and the engagement star. Minacci got the Chief of Fleet Operations to sign off on them. The boss has me working up a draft policy on display of combat awards on scout ships. He wants to make sure we don’t look like we’ve been sprayed with graffiti. Fleet has a policy but it excludes Scout Force, because of our stealth coating. We have a new stealth coating now and it won’t affect it at all.”
CAPT Hasselrode’s communicator buzzed and he told them the admiral would see them now. Kelly and CDR Timmons went into the Admiral’s office.
Admiral Craddock was standing looking out the window at the yards. This was slightly unusual because every other time they had entered his office he had been seated at work on something.
He turned around and said, “Come in. Take seats at the table. I need some coffee.”
Kelly offered to get it for him but was waved off. He came back in with Captain Hasselrode and they all sat at the conference table.
“I guess you three get to be the first to hear this. I haven’t even told my wife yet. I just got off the communicator with the Chief of Fleet Operations. I’ve been nominated for my third star to take over as the Chief of Fleet Intel. He said he has already greased the skids on this with the Senate. He expects my nomination to be approved with the next biennial Flag Officer Appointment and Promotion List, to be submitted in seven months. They expect the list to be finalized and ratified by the Senate in time for Christmas on Earth. I don’t know who will replace me. I may be able to name my own replacement, as Scout Force will come under Fleet Intel after the Defense Reorganization Act passes.”
All three officers congratulated the admiral and the consensus was that it was well deserved. Admiral Craddock looked at the three officers and said, “John, you don’t get a choice. I’m taking you with me up to Fleet Intel. You two,” pointing at Timmons and Kelly, “need to let me know when you’re coming up for your next assignment. I can get you a good assignment in Fleet Intel HQ or anywhere in Fleet Intel you want to go. Kelly, I know of the perfect job for you in a year and a half, when you turn over the Vigilant to its new captain. I just can’t tell you about it yet.”
The Admiral’s yeoman came in with a tray of glasses and two bottles of champagne. The bottles were opened, glasses filled, and they toasted to absent companions, to their continued good fortune, and to good luck and good hunting.
K’Taul was the third director of the T’Pifa Theoretical Research Institute in the last six months. His predecessors had been unable to make a working transporter gate from the stolen plans, and K’Taul was facing the same dilemma. He couldn’t understand what he was doing wrong. His demonstration machine was exactly according to the diagrams on the three plans, but every time he activated it, the room would fill with the foulest smelling brown smoke.
He knew he wasn’t long for this job if he could not get the device to work. He had called in the cypher team from the Imperial Analytical Cabal twice to ensure they understood the translation of the Blake’s language properly. He couldn’t help thinking the spies stole the wrong data or not all of it. Something must be missing. He was getting nowhere as he was.
He had one last idea for how to proceed. He would bring the finest theoretical and applied physics minds in the K’Rang Empire and form three teams. Each team would work in isolation, be given a complete set of plans, and charged to build a demonstration transporter ring. Surely one of the teams would reach the proper solution.
In the meantime, he was making one last attempt to get this demonstration model to work. Making the K’Rang symbol for good luck, he motioned for his senior research assistant to apply power. He frantically gave the cut power signal as the room filled up with the foul smelling brown smoke.
